What is a requirements specification? Example: Online shop creation

In project management and engineering practice, particularly in German-speaking countries, the requirements specification and the functional specification play a central role. They serve to precisely define and document the requirements and specifications of a project. Although the two terms are often confused, they have different functions and content.

Requirements specification

The requirements specification is created by the client and contains a comprehensive description of the project requirements from the client's perspective. It defines WHAT is to be achieved, without addressing HOW . For an e-commerce shop, the requirements specification could, for example, include the following points:

• objective: Description of the overarching business objectives to be achieved with the shop (e.g., increasing sales, reaching new customer groups).
• Functional requirements: List of required functions such as product catalog, shopping cart, search function, payment systems, customer account management, etc.
• Non-functional requirements: Specifications regarding user-friendliness, performance, security, mobile device compatibility and SEO optimization.
• Design and brand guidelines: Information on visual appearance, corporate design guidelines, use of brand logos, etc.
• Legal and regulatory requirements: Information on data protection regulations, legal notice requirements, terms and conditions, etc.

Specifications

The requirements specification, on the other hand, is prepared by the contractor (often in consultation with the client) and addresses HOW the requirements stated in the functional specification will be implemented. It serves as the technical specification and contains detailed information on how the requirements are to be implemented. For our e-commerce shop, the requirements specification could contain the following information:

• Technical specifications: Selection of the software platform (e.g. Magento, Shopify), databases, programming languages, integration of existing systems.
• Detailed planning of functionalities: Detailed description of the implementation of individual functions, including interfaces, user flows, and data modeling.
• Security concept: Description of the safety measures for Protection against cyberattacks, data leaks, etc.
• Test Procedure: Definition of test processes for quality assurance, including unit tests, integration tests, and usability tests.
• Project planning: Timeline, resource planning, milestones, budgeting.

Example of an e-commerce project

How do I create a requirements specification for an online shop ? – Storetown-Media internal – What is a requirements specification? Example: Online shop creation

Excerpt from the requirements specification:

• objective: Increase online sales by 30% within the next two years.
• Functional requirements: Setting up a user-friendly, multilingual product catalog function with an integrated shopping cart system and various payment options (PayPal, credit card, instant bank transfer).
• Design and brand guidelines: The shop should reflect the current corporate design and be presented uniformly and attractively on all devices (desktop, tablet, smartphone).

Excerpt from the specifications:

• Technical specifications: The shop is being developed using Shopify with individual customizations. Product information is imported from the existing ERP system via an API.
• Detailed planning of functionalities: The search function will be integrated with Elasticsearch. Payment processing will be handled by an external payment service provider that supports the required payment methods.
• Test Procedure: An iterative testing process with regular releases and feedback loops will be implemented. A comprehensive penetration test will be conducted before go-live.

The creation of these documents requires close cooperation between the client and the contractor to ensure that all requirements are correctly understood and planned.

Requirements specification for a Shopify store: what else should be included

If Shopify is chosen as the target system , some points in the requirements specification will change. Five key details will save you time later and make offers comparable:

• Standard, app or in-house development: For each function, note whether Shopify offers it out of the box, whether an app covers it, or whether it needs to be programmed. Apps cost money monthly – this should be included in the budget, not added later. on account.
• Checkout requirements: Document any deviations from the standard process. Deep modifications to the Shopify checkout are reserved for Shopify Plus – if this requirement is included in the specifications, it determines the pricing plan and therefore the ongoing costs. Online shop costs.
• (C) Copyright MMXXV by A ready-made theme with customizations or a custom theme in Liquid? This is usually the largest single item in the offer and therefore belongs in the requirements specification, not just in the functional specification.
• Interfaces: Which merchandise management, ERP or accounting system is connected, in which direction do articles, stock levels, prices and orders flow – and how often?
• Migration and redirections: When switching from WooCommerce, Shopware For platforms like Magento, the data volume, customer accounts, and especially the redirects from the old URLs must be included in the requirements specification. If these are missing, the migration will negatively impact search engine rankings.

How these points look in a specific project is explained on our Shopify development page.